Tropical Acai Bowls Recipe

I first wrote about acai bowls here in 2012 after I had just learned about and started making them. Well, I'm still making these delicious and refreshing superfood bowls. This particular recipe with tropical flavors of pineapple and mango is my kids' favorite. Acai bowls are a wonderful way to get more fruit into our diets. Whenever my girls get the sniffles or a sore throat, I make them acai bowls. Luckily acai smoothie bowls are so tasty, the girls ask for them for after school snacks regularly. While where we live in Santa Barbara there are two acai bowl shops within a few miles, it's more convenient and less expensive to make them at home.

What is Acai?

The acai berry grows from Eutrepe trees, which are a type of palm tree in the Amazon rainforest. It's no surprise the first time I heard about acai was after a friend visited Brazil. The acai berries themselves are slightly smaller than grapes and grow in clusters. Acai berries have numerous health benefits. They are very high in antioxidants, which means they are great for fighting free radicals and slowing down inflammation and signs of aging. Other than those fantastic health benefits, acai may also boost skin health, improve memory and focus, support weight loss, protect against heart disease and diabetes, and stimulate healthy digestion (source).

Though acai smoothies are my favorite way to enjoy this super berry, there are other acai products available, such as teas and powders. Frozen acai puree packets are available in the freezer aisle of most grocery stores with the frozen fruits. Trader Joe's now carries them as well. When buying frozen acai packets, I am careful to get the unsweetened pure acai variety. There are also guarana acai blends that I avoid because it contains caffeine, and sweetened blends.

The difference between a smoothie bowl and a regular smoothie to me is all about the thickness. Whereas smoothies are typically thin enough to be slurped up with a straw, smoothie bowls should be thick and creamy like a soft ice cream. The trick to thickening up smoothie bowls is all in the frozen ingredients. More liquid will thin, while frozen fruit will thicken. Smoothie bowls scooped up with spoons are also perfect for adding crunchy toppings. I like to add granola, coconut, hemp or chia seeds, and whatever fruit I happen to have around.

Tropical Acai Bowls

How to make beautiful, delicious, and nourishing frozen acai bowls with tropical flavor at home.

Ingredients

1 whole orange, peeled

1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1 cup frozen mango chunks

1 small banana

2 frozen acai puree packs

1/4 cup granola (I used Nature's Path Coconut Chia)

1/4 cup favorite berries or fruit for topping

Instructions

You'll need a high powered blender or food processor for this recipe. Place the orange, frozen pineapple, frozen mango, and banana in the blender. Run the acai packs under water for a few seconds to loosen from the plastic sleeve. Cut off the top and break up into large chunks. Add the acai chunks to the blender. Blend until smooth. If you have a blender tamper, use it to press the fruit down. If your blender won't turn, add more liquid. Coconut water, regular water, almond milk, and juice are all fine. Don't add too much, because we want these bowls to be very thick, like ice cream.

Turn off the blender and use a rubber spatula to spoon the blended acai mixture into two bowls. Top with granola/seeds, and any fruit you would like to use. Enjoy right away or freeze for up to 40 minutes.

Yield: Serves 2Prep Time: 10 mins.

Total time: 10 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 335

Fat: 8

Totalcarbs: 64

Protein: 4

Sodium: 35

Tags: acai bowls, smoothie bowls, smoothies, breakfast*Nutrition Information is approximate and calculated by a third party app. For this recipe nutrition information is based on 1/2 the recipe with granola and no fruit on top.

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